There is a collective sigh of resignation because Uli Hoeness from Bayern spoke…
Not Alonso.
Hoeness from the arch rival.
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I find this very strange.
One, we tend to keep our business in-house and don’t communicate with the media on this kind of matters. Suddenly, something like that pops up. Strange.
Two, I’d personally find Xabi’s decision to stay at Leverkusen baffling to be honest. It would show a surprising lack of ambition, and that’s not how we have come to know him throughout his career. He never hesitated to leave clubs if something better presented itself. He was never a Gerrard. Strange again, and out of character.
In short, I think it’s bullshit and nothing is decided yet.
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Yeah, Real and Bayern shouldn’t even bother speaking to him, quite honestly. Just like we’re totally not doing. Just take it as read, I would, chaps. Definitely not going anywhere this summer, probably best to just appoint someone else asap…
Joyce and Ornstein both spoke, and while they weren’t unequivocal, it very much looks like the writing is on the wall. Still, until it is confirmed by someone in authority, there remains a glimmer of hope for Xabi. He may confirm he is staying at Leverkusen himself, in his presser today. Let’s see what happens…
I’m getting on the Amorim bus as the alternate.
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Xabi just announced it himself. Staying at Leverkusen.
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While he was young when he came to us, he had been linked to big moves for at least a couple of years prior. Whether they didnt happen then because no one was ready to pull the trigger or he was not yet quite ready is not well reported, but it could be viewed as consistent with him wanting to stay in his current situation until he met the milestones he’d set for himself.
There is a certain sense of self assurance from not jumping at big gigs as soon as they offered and instead biding your time knowing those big offers are going to be there when you’re ready.
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Fair play to him, he’s done the honourable thing and you have to respect that. I’m confident he’ll continue to be a very successful trainer. Unfortunately the chances of his being available at the same time we’re recruiting in the future are very slim.
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If it’s true that he only ever wants to manage three club teams after Leverkusen (Real Madrid, Liverpool, Bayern Munich) or maybe four if you include Real Sociedad’s first team, then it’s possible he could still manage us in the future when the job becomes available. If he took a sabbatical between jobs, and waited for those clubs, then there’s a possibility he could be the manager of LFC. Many variable factors of course, including his success, our success, other managers coming onto the scene.
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Of course it’s possible, but we are a club that stays loyal to its trainers, unless the new coach is a disaster, the job won’t come up for five years or so, and who knows where Xabi will be then.
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He’ll have been fired by Real Madrid for not winning the treble and then damaged goods after getting fired for leading PSG to their traditional League and Cup double with a CL QF exit.
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You say that, but it’s possible the one club that doesn’t have a vacancy for him right now - RM - may be the appointment he is after and he’s holding out for that. Could be that he and his family are wanting the next move to be back to Spain.
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One for the future in my view.
If the next guy comes in and achieves it’s highly unlikely we will ever see him here looking at the choices.
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He has previously made the comments that he assumed that part of going to Madrid would be it feeling like returning home, but it never did and the contrast with how much he and his wife felt “at home” at Liverpool was stark.
Situations change, and he now has 3 kids who would have all likely had their first understanding of what “home” was when he was playing for Real. But Im sure he’s commented that his eldest considers himself a liverpool fan even though he was only months old when Xabi left
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Full:
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Body language is interesting and can’t work out how ‘clear’ everything actually is from his perspective.
I suspected that Alonso might snub us (or stay at Leverkusen), hence why I always referred to the new manager as “the new guy” because I didn’t and still don’t have a clue who it might be. There is a saying in my country that is roughly translated as “he/she knows how to get home” for a person who is very cunning - I think that saying applies to Alonso very much. He’s always known how to get his way and fulfil his ambitions without offending everyone.
That’s what he’s doing now - I’m sure he’s known for quite a long time what he was going to do. Staying at Leverkusen is probably the smartest thing he could have done in his current situation - if/when he wins the title with them, he will remain to guide them in Champions League, get a taste of what it is like to manage in club football’s highest competition, keep this Leverkusen side together, improve it further. Compare that to Stevie jumping ship after winning the title with Rangers…
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In normal situation you’d imagine that Hincape, Boniface, Frimpong and Wirtz would be among the most sought after players in Europe this summer. I wonder if there have been any conversations with those players about Xabi’s commitment for one more year. Staying on and building on what they’ve done this year is a daunting prospect, but it’s a borderline fools errand if they get pilfered by bigger clubs the way that happens with pretty much every Cinderella story like this.
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I’m quite sure that it will happen. Even if the club intends to hold on to the players, they might have their hands forced by the players and their agents. Once the big clubs come calling and waving millions under their noses, they won’t be as patient as Xabi I’m afraid.
When Xabi informed the players about his decision to stay they celebrated it as if they just scored a goal. It’s a good group they have there.
Anyway, not seeing them repeating this seasons success. CL (with the new format) will cost them.
Anyone remember Union Berlin started in the CL this season or Frankfurt last season. Looks like Dortmund or Leipzig will miss out on CL this season and the same could happen to Leverkusen next season.
Edit
Bremen won the league in 2004
Stuttgart in 2007
Dortmund in 2011
Two of them went on to get relegated since then.
Almost impossible to build on success in the Bundesliga unless you’re Bayern Munich.
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Leverkusen trailing with 10 minutes to go.